Gender Shock: Practicing Feminism on Two Continents

Eisenstein, Hester

The author defines "gender shock" as "the shock that has been produced in society and in individuals by the successful introduction of feminist ideas" (p. 4). This book is a collection of nine of Eisenstein's essays "on the reception of feminist ideas in the culture at large" (p. 4). "A second theme . . . is the struggle among feminists of differing persuasions to come to terms with the reception of feminism, which in turn raises a series of questions about coping with elements of disappointment or failure" (p. 4). A number of the essays are about her experiences of living in Australia and how it reshaped her ideas about feminist theory and practice. Of special interest is Chapter 6, which is a dialogue between Eisenstein and Alice Jardine about postmodernism and feminist theory, and Chapter 9, which is on gender as an analytical category. Of relevance to the study of EHEs is the discussion of whether it is more useful to work from a liberal, foundationist stance or a postmodern one. She feels that "the effective implementation of feminist principles is one of the crucial ways in which the world can ensure its survival, in peace and equity, into the future" (p. 5).